1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved magnet assembly, and more particularly, to a magnet assembly especially useful as a filtering device or as a filter cartridge magnetic attachment for magnetically collecting metallic particles within a filter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This patent is an improvement of the filter cartridge magnetic attachment set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024 by the same inventor herein. In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024 is incorporated herein by reference.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, a first magnet 18 and a second magnet 20 are employed along with either a single shunt 34 or a pair of shunts comprised of a first shunt member 50 and a second shunt member 52. The use of only two magnets and up to two shunts, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, provides a somewhat limited magnetic configuration that influences the metal particles inside the filter cartridge 14. In this respect, it would be desirable if a filter cartridge magnetic attachment can provide a wide variety of magnetic configurations with a wide variety of magnetic strengths.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024, the first magnet 18 and the second magnet 20 are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance and fit into complementary reception channels in the heat sink 22. To provide additional magnetic configurations, it would be desirable if additional magnets could be configured so that two of the magnets fit into the complementary reception channels in the heat sink 22 as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024.
In other contexts, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to configurations of magnets and shunts, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,613,246, 2,936,408, 3,067,366, 3,168,686, 4,578,663, and 4,816,796. It is noted, however, that none of the configurations of magnets and shunts disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,613,246, 2,936,408, 3,067,366, 3,168,686, 4,578,663, and 4,816,796 are suitable for use with the reception channels in the heat sink 22 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use magnets and shunts in a variety of configurations, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest an improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a wide variety of magnetic configurations with a wide variety of magnetic strengths; and (2) permits additional magnets to be configured so that two of the magnets fit into the complementary reception channels in the heat sink as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,024. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique improved filter cartridge magnetic attachment of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.